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Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Saving Banksy (March 2nd and 5th at the Cleveland Cinematheque)

[SAVING BANKSY
screens Thursday March 2nd at 6:45pm and Sunday March 5th at 8:45 pm at the
Cleveland Cinematheque.]

Review by Bob Ignizio

Where is the line drawn between graffiti as vandalism, and
"street art", and who gets to decide? And once that line is drawn, is
there a responsibility to try and preserve those pieces considered to be works
of art, or should the wishes of the artists that they ephemeral things, to be
enjoyed while they last before being covered up either by other artists/vandals,
or in many cases painted over by civic authorities who don't share the
appreciation some have for this art form? These are the questions at the heart
of Colin Day's documentary SAVING BANKSY.

The secretive Banksy is easily the best known street artist
among the general public. He has placed "street art" all over the
world, including a number of pieces in San Francisco. Most of those pieces have
been covered up, either because of a law (since repealed) that held building
owners liable for graffiti on their property, or because others painted over it
with their own graffiti/street art.

There is, however, one Banksy painting – one of his iconic
rats – that remains untouched. This leads an art collector to try to make a
deal for the piece with the building's owner. Not to profit from it, but to
preserve it. This is gentleman is contrasted with an art dealer who claims to
be preserving Banksy's work for future generations, but whatever his motives,
seems to be making a tidy sum for himself in the process.

SAVING BANKSY is
a relatively short film that nonetheless manages to provide a suitably
illuminating and entertaining look at an aspect of modern art not everyone is
aware of or understands. It may not be as "important" as the latest
political documentary, but if you're interested in the often sticky
intersection of art and commerce, there's plenty here of interest. 3 out of 4
stars.